Memories
by Truthful nomad
Summary: Fili and Kili, sons of Dis were kidnapped at a young age and forced into a life of slavery. They would dream of one day being freed, but long years have passed and it seems like they'll die slaves…. But people say that if you dream long and hard enough, your dream will one day come true… Maybe one day they'll be free... Parings: Fili/OC, Kili/OC
1. Chapter 1

**Truthful Nomad: Hey everyone, I hope you like our new fic! This fic is a little different than mine or Hobbit's single fics because well, we wrote it together. We kind of did it similar to RPG style. Now just like my previous fics, I have to remind all the naysayers that this is in no way cannon, so consider this your warning.**

**Point of views played by Truthful Nomad: Fili, Asphodel, the master of Lake-town, and the cook**

**Point of views played by Creative Hobbit: Kili, Brenna, Duke Gerald, Alfrid, the bully in Lake-town**

**And of course neither one of us owns the Hobbit or any of Tolkien's works!**

The cold air in the bleak morning reeked of fish. It burned in one's nostrils at first, but Kili had long since grown used to it. He no longer noticed it really anymore. It had been years since he'd stopped noticing it at all or even thought about the fish. Kili shivered a bit though. The cold was something he'd never gotten used to.

He was getting ready for another day of work. Grueling work that was usually the same, though Kili had stopped thinking about that too. There was nothing for it. It was cleaning day, which meant dusting and getting all those filthy little corners of the large house. Kili at first protested cleaning day, but after so many years of it, it had become part of his habit as well. _Maybe it would be more enjoyable if I were paid for it… _he thought, not for the first time and probably not for the last. He was dusting duty. He usually dusted the rest of the house quickly, but the library was the problem. Although usually the library was quite peaceful, and Kili was glad for the quiet in the room as he moved from shelf to shelf of large books and tomes, making sure they were clean and free of the dust that settled on them every once in a while.

Fili had tried to make the most of this life. He had always hoped one day, it would end. Maybe they'd be rescued by someone who cared. But that hope had long since faded and it seemed this dark, bleak shadow that had descended upon them would remain with them forever.

Of course the Master of Lake-town wasn't the worst master they had had. They weren't beaten nearly as much as they had been at the hands of previous masters. That was one step up at least. But life was still hard. Fili didn't remember the last time he had a full meal. He thought of the joys of a full supper as he scrubbed the floor in the kitchen. Servants moved about him, stepping on him on occasion and not really minding the fact that he was cleaning the floor.

Usually, Fili was relegated to doing all the manual labor, repairing, things like that. But today, the house was abuzz and everyone hurried to get the place spic-and-span. Of course the master didn't really tell them what was going on, he had just warned them that if the house didn't look perfect and his guests weren't properly entertained, there would be consequences.

Fili sighed when the head cook walked by and kicked over his bucket of water. The water quickly spread all over him and the floor he had just cleaned. The cook didn't even stop to excuse himself, only to mutter, "Watch it, Dwarf, you almost made me drop my hors d'oeuvres!"

Fili got to his feet and picked up the now empty bucket and his rag. His trousers were wet and his tunic was wet but there was little to be done about it now. He headed through the house and towards the front entrance. On his way, he stopped by the master's library and poked his head in, noticing the figure knelt over in the corner, "Brother?" he called, "How are you holding up?"

Kili looked up for a moment. "I always wonder at all these books… It's amazing how much dust they attract." he said, shaking his head as he moved to another shelf of them.

"I wonder if the master even knows how to read," Fili commented with a small smirk, "He doesn't seem like the scholarly type."

"Alfrid does enough of that for him. But _these_ aren't ever touched. They've always got the same amount of dust each time I go to dust them. It's bloody annoying. Why does dust even exist in the first place?" Kili grumbled.

Fili smiled a little at his little brother's frustration, "I'm not sure, Brother," he said, "I have to go outside and collect more water thanks to the cook. I will return in a bit."

Kili looked up again and nodded, swallowing back a bit of the apprehension that came whenever one of them had to go outside the mansion. It was not a nice feeling having to leave the relative safety of the indoors, for out there slaves were treated with even less consideration than the Master sometimes. "Careful Fee." he called softly, looking after Fili with concern.

"I will," Fili assured his brother, giving him a brief smile before he headed outside.

Once he closed the door behind him, Fili took in the sights around him. It was chilly and he could see the mist rising from the lake itself. Ice floated about in the water. Fili walked out onto the wooden planks which creaked under him as water lapped at them. In a town built on a lake, it seemed water was the one thing that was free. Fili saw Humans wandering about, going about their business. Many of them looked scruffy. Times were hard, money and food were scarce, and many of them looked quite worse for wear.

Fili found a corner near one of the town saloon buildings and knelt down on the wood, preparing to draw some water. The water in this part of town was dirty and polluted with tar and oil, since the lake men often tossed their trash and garbage into the lake. But it was far too dangerous to try to leave town to get fresher waters on the lake shore. Bandits were common, as were wild animals and Fili was cold and wet anyway.

As he drew his water, Fili glanced up and his eyes fell on the sight just beyond the town and the lake. To the thundering mountain shrouded slightly in morning fog. Erebor. It was hard to remember too far into his childhood, as most of it had been full of misery and he'd blocked it all out. But somewhere, somewhere deep in the dark recesses of his mind, there were memories. Memories of happier times. Of being surrounded by family, his kin. And there were stories about this mountain.

Suddenly a rough and scraggly-looking man kicked over Fili's bucket- _again_. The man smacked his dry lips and leered down at Fili. "Well lookie what we have here!" he smirked cruelly. "A dwarf, dreaming about the mountain!"

Fili growled a bit in frustration and tried to retrieve his bucket, "I don't want any trouble," he said, but he couldn't resist the urge to give one witty tongued remark, "And I did not know that men possessed the power to read one's thoughts."

The man grimaced. "I could see it on your face, dwarf. You and yer lot are just _itching_ to go there and get your bloody treasure back, I know it! That treasure that brought destruction to our city! Ye're never going to get it back, not with that beast in there. You should realize that by now, dwarf."

Fili's face flushed red with immediate anger after hearing this man berate his people's kingdom, and he felt a bit hurt by the words as well. After all, he wouldn't be here if he had a choice in the matter, "Don't speak of things which you have no understanding of," Fili shot back before getting his bucket and standing up. The man stood well more than a foot taller than him and he had to crane his head to look at his face.

"I know very well what I speak of. Me grandfathur died when the dragon came. And all for some gold and jewels and riches."

Fili could hardly resist pushing this human into the water. He wanted very much to rip his vile tongue out for those words he was saying about Fili's own kin. But of course, he and Kili had never revealed that they were princes and that the legend this man spoke of was the legend of their own great grandfather, "Leave me," he warned, "I've got as much a right to live here as you. This was once dwarven land after all."

"Well it's the land of _my_ people now. If I were the Master, I would've had you dwarves out of _this_ town a long time ago." the man said matter-of-factly, unstung by Fili's warning.

"You know nothing of my people," Fili said, "If I wanted to take our land back, I would have arrived here with a mighty army of dwarves, ready to lay waste to this filthy town of yours." Fili spat those words with anger and bitterness and with one lurch forward, he shoved the man so that he would lose his balance and plunge into the icy lake.

The Lake-towner could barely blink before he found himself falling and hitting the chilling waters. He luckily knew how to swim however, so when he floated back up, he held on to a part of the wood and yelled curses at the golden-haired dwarf. "Oi! Ye'll pay for this you dirty little good-for-nothing!" The most harm done might be a chance of catching pneumonia, but apart from that, the man was fine, and the icy waters would probably cool off his hot, angry head.

Fili didn't bother to wait for the lake man to get out of the water. He filled his bucket and stomped off for the master's house, in a much fouler mood than he had been in before.

When he arrived back to the house, Fili found most of it much cleaner and the servants were busy preparing for the guest's arrival. Fili was cold and wet and angry and he shoved past all the humans.

The master came into the room and quickly intercepted Fili, "Where have you been, you little pip squeak?"

"I was drawing more water, Sir," Fili said, fixing his gaze to the floor. He had learned long ago that humans could be unpredictable and it was best to remain on the submissive side in their presence, "For the floors."

"Forget the floors," the master shouted, "Where is that other little scoundrel? I want you two to wait on our guests tonight, so you'll obey us and you will obey the cooking staff. And if there is but one slip up tonight, you'll both sleep outside. Now fetch him and report to the kitchen."

Fili slammed the bucket of water down and stomped off for the library, bursting in on Kili.

"The Maker's hammer! What happened Fee?" Kili exclaimed, putting down the duster. Fili usually didn't storm around like that, so Kili guessed something must've happened outside. He swallowed and looked at Fili with concern.

"I hate this town, that is all," Fili said angrily, taking a few breaths in order to calm down a bit. "The people are cruel. Now come on, we're to report to the kitchen for instructions, the master wants us to wait on him and his guests tonight."

Kili looked disappointedly at the last few shelves left to dust. Hopefully no one would notice. He'd missed supper for two nights the last time he'd not dusted a couple of shelves, and Kili did not want to lose the meager yet precious food that they got. It was all they had to survive, and he'd already missed the day before for accidentally 'ruining' Alfrid's clothes. (It was only a tiny spot of sauce on them, and it was the cook's fault, not Kili's!) He nodded and followed Fili, feeling a bit nervous. _Please let nobody see, please let nobody see! _he prayed silently. It was not likely that anyone would hear, since they'd gone unheard for the past fifty years, but it was worth a try… _right?_

Fili sighed and put an arm around Kili's shoulders as the two of them headed for the kitchen. The oversized kitchen area, fit for a king of course, was abuzz with activity. The head cook moved around giving everyone orders and not really pulling his own weight while other servants prepared the evening meal. It really smelled fantastic in here and Fili inhaled the aroma. At least smell was free, right?

"There you two little fools are," the chef said, handing them each a platter of bulls bollocks drenched in delicious looking gravy, "Go put the appetizers in the dining room. Hurry, they'll be here any minute!"

Kili pulled a bit of a face at the meal. _Really? Bollocks? _Who in their right mind would eat bollocks? Well, the master was never in his right mind, Kili thought with a smirk. Although the gravy did look quite good to be honest.

Fili was a little disgusted by the idea of bollocks, but he was so hungry it took every ounce of self control not to devour everything on the plate as he and Kili took their platters to the large dining room.

The dining room was just as opulent as the rest of the master's unnecessarily large and luxurious mansion. The table, made of beautiful oak, was decorated with a beautiful lace table cover and a chandelier dangled above it, sparkling with crystals and candles. The table was set with beautiful porcelain china, silver utensils, and gold goblets. Fili groaned in disgust as he set the platter down in the center near the head of the table.

Kili tried to ignore the thought of the riches and things right in front of them. It was hard though, especially when the thought of them being princes and deserving to be living in the mountain, Erebor, their kingdom, not working for no pay for some greedy, rotten man who only cared for himself, was lingering in his head. He fought the urge to spit upon the ground by the Master's chair, and muttered, "One day, one day he'll see…"

Fili looked at the wealth in this room and was reminded of a lesson he had learned long ago. When they were at the hands of their former master, Fili had done the unthinkable. He'd stolen. It's not something he was proud of and its not something any honorable dwarf would do, but it is something a desperate, hungry dwarf would do. He'd only stolen a few gold so he could buy something to eat in the market. He planned to sneak his treat and share it with Kili. But Master found out and even though the master had more than enough gold to spare, he was quick to show his rage. Fili was beaten terribly, he couldn't even walk for a few days. And he was forbidden to eat for a week. He very nearly didn't survive, but he never risked stealing again. Not gold anyway. There had been plenty of occasions where he had stolen scraps from his master's dinner plates, or raided the trash for anything the wasteful humans might have left behind. In fact, he had become quite skilled at stealing scraps. He wasn't proud of those moments either, and he did fear being caught, but all of his actions had been so that he and Kili could survive.

Kili swallowed as he looked at the gold and remembered what had happened with their previous master, when Fili had stolen the gold and had been beaten. Kili shuddered to remember the horrible beating, how scared he was, seeing Fili in pain, asking the heavens what they'd done to deserve this, and then afterwards nearly losing his precious Fee to starvation. It had all been so much and Kili wished not for the first time, that they no longer had to do whatever it took for food- just a small morsel of food. He gave Fili a glance and then turned to go back to the kitchen, clutching his stomach as if the very thought of the gold made him want to throw up.

Fili glanced at his brother and could tell they were both thinking on the same event. He clasped his hand on Kili's shoulder to try to comfort him as they started back for the kitchen, "It's alright, Kee," he said softly, "We're both still here and we're both together and just like I told you in the beginning, whatever happens, I'll do everything in my power to make sure that never changes."

They were about to head back up the hall when the master of Lake-town appeared, along with Alfrid and what Fili could only assume was the master's long awaited guest. A scrawny man with a long pointy nose, greasy straggly brown hair, and mouse-like beady eyes.

The master growled when he saw the two dwarves, "The dining room had better be perfect or else! And bring us all some brandy!" As the trio sauntered by, Fili noticed two young girls following behind the guest, both with their gaze to the floor as they walked by.

Fili had a bad feeling about this guest. He grabbed Kili's arm and hurried back to the kitchen where the chef was waiting, "What took you so long?" he snapped, "We haven't got all day!"

"We need brandy and some water," Fili said, "The master's guest has arrived."

"Fine," the cook handed Fili the container of brandy and Kili the water, "Now get in there and wait on them," he growled. "Dinner will be ready in a bit."

Fili and Kili both hurried back to the dining room where the master was sitting down at the head of the table, happily enjoying his bollocks while the guest and Alfrid sat on either side of him. The two girls both stood in the corner of the room, looking desperate but sad.

Fili quickly poured the three of them their drinks and retreated to the corner to await further instructions.

"Ah, Duke Gerald, I hope you enjoy yourself in my humble abode," the master said cheerfully as he munched on his bollocks, "My servants here will see to our every need."

"Thank you, my friend. Now, about this fish business…" he started. He made himself sound very uppity and superior, making Kili hold back a scoff. "... I would like to inquire on how it would affect the trade between our two grand cities."

"Well as you know, Lake-town boasts the finest fishermen in all of Middle Earth," the master said pleasantly, "We bring in so much fish, we grow fat off of our bounty. And do you know how much these fish would go for in some landlocked monstrosity like say, the lands to the south? We provide you with the fish for a price of course, and then you sell it to whomever you like. We both get rich."

Fili felt sick to his stomach as he listened quietly from his corner. The men of Lake-town certainly weren't growing fat off of fish. In fact, they were often going hungry since the master sent much of the fish to Mirkwood already. Of course, Fili had long since learned to not be surprised by the greed and the cruelty he had been witness to during his life serving the world of men.

"By the way," the master said, "I heard about your exploits of the lands to the west, very good! You sure have come up in the world these days. But I think the key to good leadership is to let your servants and your people know who is boss, wouldn't you say?"

Gerald was pleased, and gave a thin smile. Evidently smiles did not work on his thin greasy face. "Certainly! The people, they all would do anything for me, if it meant they would not lose their work or livelihoods." he said.

Kili winced slightly. He heard the cruel undertone of this duke, and it was disgusting to him. These poor people…

The master chuckled as he sipped his brandy. He snapped his fingers at the two dwarves in the corner. Fili groaned as he moved forward, "Take these dwarves for instance," the master said, "I bought them from a good friend of mine. They're both good workers, but they do require discipline at times. I find that depriving them of food seems to get them more cooperative," he glared at Fili, "pour my guest here some more brandy, you little fool." Fili bit his tongue, resisting the urge to say something as he obediently poured Gerald another brandy.

The thin man smirked as he was poured more of the alcoholic drink. "That is a very good strategy, I shall have to try it myself sometime." he said, giving a meaningful look at the two girls in the corner.

Fili swallowed and glanced at the girls, feeling a bit concerned that his master was giving their master some cruel ideas. They seemed rather skinny already, at first, Fili thought they were children, but upon glancing at them closer, he noted the pointy ears and hairy feet on the taller red haired girl. A hobbit and a… Fili squinted a bit at the other one. The shorter blonde had big round dwarf-like ears, her hair was in two braid loops, she wore a dirty, torn dress and she had a terrified look in her eyes. Fili couldn't quite identify what race she was, but he wondered what kind of abuse the two of them had suffered at the hands of this master.

Alfrid, meanwhile had been grinning at the entire conversation. He found a bit a courage to speak up.

"Might I suggest sir-" he tried, but the guest ignored the greasy manservant and kept talking.

"My best way to make these two work is to make one sleep inside and the other outside. Afterwards, they're quite competent for at least another day."

Kili's eyes widened, and he gave Fili a frightened sideways glance, breath hitching in his throat. _No, not that! Anything but that!_ That was the only way he could be reassured of being alright… alive.. that Fili was safe as well!

"Ah perhaps I'll try that," the master said, "Their last master informed me that these two are brothers, and it really is the only way to ensure their cooperation. After all, dwarves can be quite stubborn and sometimes punishing the other works better than punishing the culprit."

Fili swallowed and he was shaking a little, trying to hold back his anger and his tongue. He just couldn't help it, "You will not hurt my brother," he warned in a dangerous tone, glaring at all three of them, "Hurt him and you will regret it."

Alfrid grinned even broader than before. "See? An excellent example, my liege!"

Gerald smiled a bit. "Ah, I agree!" he exclaimed. "Very good example indeed, sir! These two girls have given me quite a bit of trouble. Brenna, the elder of the two, though she is short, has an independent streak that I've found hard to break. And Asphodel's impulsiveness is quite infuriating."

Kili meanwhile bit his lip as he looked at Fili. "Fili, no!" he gasped, in fear that the Master would actually try this new suggestion when it was time for bed.

The master glared at Fili, "What did you say?" he growled, his expression turning sour, he quickly reached out and struck Fili across the cheek, causing him to stumble backwards a bit. Fili rubbed his cheek and glared, but he moved away. He didn't want his tongue to be the cause of Kili's suffering, he was truly afraid that the master would use this to his advantage.

"Now go get us our meals," the master commanded.

Fili rubbed his cheek and turned to Kili, "Come on," he said. Just then the taller girl came forward, "I shall accompany you, Milords," she said to Fili and to Kili, "My master has certain dietary requirements."

Gerald smirked and turned to the Master of Lake-town. "Asphodel is on her best behaviour tonight. Usually she is quite sharp-tongued like that blond of yours." he recounted.

Kili meanwhile, swallowed and walked with Fili and this girl, trying to hold back tears. "Why Fee?" he muttered quietly, only meant for himself to hear.

Fili huffed angrily as they came out into the hallway, "I'll not stand for them doing anything to you," he said to Kili, "We've gone along with this world of men, but that is one thing I'll not tolerate."

Asphodel followed along quietly, her head down, walking a few feet behind the dwarves. She had a look of fear in her eyes, she was truly terrified because Gerald had made some unnerving threats to her and her sister before they arrived and the thought of them had frightened her into saying anything against him.

Kili shook his head and stopped Fili by pulling on his sleeve. "I know Fee, but _I_ don't want _you_ to get yourself into trouble on my account. I've seen you get hurt too much and I'm tired of it. I'm so tired of it. I should be able to stand up for _myself_. It's not _fair_ to you." He looked at Fili, tears threatening to pour out of his big brown eyes.

Fili pulled Kili into a tight embrace, hugging him like he always did when he was frightened, "It's going to be okay, Kili," he said, "Someday, we'll get out of this. I know we will. But until we do, all that matters to me is that you are alright."

Asphodel watched the two dwarves in front of her, touched by their tenderness towards one another. She really had never seen much affection in her life, except for when it came from Brenna.

Kili sighed a bit as he held onto Fili- his brother truly was stubborn. He fought back a small sob, and at last was able to straighten up again, blinking and giving Fili a little half-smile, wiping away the tears that had managed to escape. "Dinner?" he asked.

Fili nodded, "We better get it before he gets angry," he said, glancing behind him at the girl before continuing down the hall. They arrived in the kitchen and Fili nearly swooned when he caught the smell and the sight of a delicious looking elk roast sitting before them on a platter surrounded by potatoes, carrots, and onions. There were also platters of fine cheese and olives.

"Hurry up and take this to the master!" the cook demanded, "And if I catch any of you eating it, I'll tell the master!"

Asphodel's eyes got wide at the sight of the elk. She licked her lips and rubbed her stomach almost as if it caused her pain.

Kili gasped a bit when he saw the meal. It was not fair! These cruel men who always had enough to eat were going to be eating this _roast_ right in front of them, while they were starving? He whimpered a bit, before glaring up at the ceiling as if cursing the fates for doing this to them. However, he tried his very hardest to ignore the smell and the thought of the food. He took the platter of cheese and olives and turned his head away from the elk.

Fili took the massive platter with the elk and it was truly torture for him. Asphodel made sure the food would be up to her master's expectations, saying he didn't enjoy certain foods, but none of those were present here.

The trio turned back for the dining room and Fili was forced to stare at the elk as he carried it, he couldn't help but groan a bit in misery as his stomach churned painfully with hunger pains. His mind immediately turned to ideas of how he could steal some of this elk for the two of them later. Surely three men couldn't finish all of this?

Gerald looked up when the food was brought in and began to laugh. "Ah, my friend! You truly didn't need to!" he exclaimed. "This looks exquisite!" the thin man complimented.

The dwarves returned to their corner with the girls and the four of them watched while the three men began to eat like pigs. The master belched a few times, chugging brandy and piling his plate with food before eating with his hands.

Fili could hardly stand it and Kili stood looking down and trying not to think about the sounds of eating and the smell of food. Asphodel too sat down with her arms hugging her knees and put her head on her arms, trying not to cry while Brenna blinked at the sight of all the food, and she sat down with Asphodel, discreetly rubbing her sister's back.

And then something almost miraculous happened. The master dropped a piece of his food on the floor! He was so busy devouring his meal and gossiping with his guest that he didn't even notice. Fili's eyes widened and he quickly snatched up the piece of meat. It was small but he broke it into four pieces, only bite sized pieces and handed a piece to Kili and the other two to Brenna and Asphodel.

Kili took the little bite gratefully and shakily began to eat it. He chewed slowly, trying to get the most out of it as he possibly could.

As the master was eating, he glanced at his friend, "By the way," he said, "How well do those girls work? What skills do they have? What race are they?"

Gerald looked up from his meal and began to tell of his slaves. "Asphodel, the red-head, she's a hobbit- a halfling if you like. The blonde, Brenna, is a gnome. Very rare these days." he quipped. "They both do very well in general housework, Asphodel cooks well, Brenna fixes my clothes and curtains and such- well, when they are co-operative."

"Well I am in need of a few more maids," the master said, "My master cook needs an assistant, his last one managed to escape. And we could certainly use a clothier, how much would you consider trading them for?"

Gerald was greatly flattered and he smiled. "I will let you have them for a low price, as a sign of my goodwill and a token of appreciation for this magnificent feast!" he chuckled. "How about the both of them for the price of one? Ten pieces of gold?"

"Ah you are truly a generous man, my friend," the master said with a grin, "Consider it done. Now Alfrid, do go fetch the duke his gold from my treasury, would you?"

Alfrid got up to do his master's biddings while Gerald laughed and raised his cup. "To an excellent deal, and a magnificent dinner!"

Asphodel glanced up from her corner when she heard the men talking about them. She was afraid of being sold, but also a bit hopeful. Gerald wouldn't be able to hurt her or Brenna and maybe this master was kinder.

Brenna meanwhile, looked grim. Seeing from the suggestions on how to punish slaves better that this Master of Lake-town had provided, she had a feeling that their lives would not differ from the one they already had with the duke. She sighed and looked back at Asphodel.

Fili glanced at Kili and then at the two girls. He was sad for them that they would be sharing in their suffering, but from the look in their eyes, he thought perhaps they had already been through enough at the hands of the duke.

The dining went on for what seemed like hours to Fili. But finally, it ended. He and Kili were forced to take the remains of their meal out to the trash. It made it easy for Fili to slip some pieces of meat into his pocket for later. While the master continued to entertain his friend, the dwarves and their new fellow servants were released from waiting duties for the evening.

Kili was silent as they went up to the attic. He pondered about what had happened during the day, and almost felt the urge to cry again, as he sat down in his spot and curled up into a ball.

Fili sat down beside his brother and rubbed his back. The attic had been theirs from the beginning as it was a dirty place filled with storage boxes, spiders, and rodents so no one ever came up there. But at least it was a place the two of them could enjoy some peace.

Asphodel and Brenna tried to find a spot to sleep in the main house but all the choice locations were taken by other higher ranking servants and they were quickly rejected. Asphodel was afraid they'd have to spend the night outside. She glanced to Brenna, "perhaps they have an attic?" she wondered.

Brenna nodded to her sister. "I think they might. I do think I saw those dwarves going up somewhere." she said, looking around and trying to remember where she saw them. They eventually found a flight of stairs leading up to the attic door and Asphodel knocked cautiously.

Fili sat up quickly, instantly alert. No one ever came in here, he feared someone would be coming in here to hurt them, "Hold on, Brother, I'll be right back," he said, getting to his feet.

Kili gasped a bit. "No Fee…" he whimpered, reaching out. _No, not again!_ he thought with some desperation.

Brenna called out. "Hello? Somebody there?" She swallowed nervously. Perhaps they weren't as kind as they seemed and she and Asphodel would have to sleep outside.

Fili was about to reassure his brother when he heard the small feminine voice on the other side of the door. He sighed and hurried over to open it, "Oh," he said, "Uh, hello."

"We haven't a place to stay," Asphodel said, "Except… outside."

Brenna swallowed. "We were wondering if there might be any room for us in the attic…" she added.

Kili sighed in relief when he heard the girls and relaxed a bit, all the fear melting out of him. He nodded at his brother when he heard their plight to let them in.

Fili ushered them both inside, "This is a small room," he said, "But we're happy to share it, it will be far below freezing tonight, you'd never survive outside."

Asphodel glanced around. It was indeed very small up here and they were surrounded by shelves and boxes and she and Brenna would have to sleep near to the dwarves. She came over and sat down with them, "I hope we aren't any trouble," she said, "No one else would let us stay with them."

Kili shook his head and curled up a bit more. "No, not at all." he said, sniffing a bit. "Perhaps a bit less space in this attic, but apart from that, you're welcome up here."

Brenna smiled slightly. "Thank you then." she said, trying to find a comfortable position to sit down.

"I'm Fili, by the way," Fili said to the girls, "My brother is Kili. We've been here for about a year now."

Asphodel glanced at Brenna, "We're Asphodel and Brenna," she replied. Her stomach grumbled loudly and she sighed, hoping no one had heard.

Brenna looked at Asphodel for a moment. "Is there a dinnertime for servants?" she asked the dwarves, for all their sakes.

Kili frowned a bit. "Generally. I just think the cook must've forgotten or something tonight because he didn't make anything for us." He buried his head in his arms right after.

Fili sighed, "We're often forgotten when there is a large dinner like this," he said, "We're not exactly high in priorities here. But…" he reached into his pocket and pulled out a cloth, "I managed to sneak this while they were doing the dishes," he said, "It isn't much." It was a few pieces of elk meat, enough for the four of them to have a few bites at least, "We'd better try to get some sleep, tomorrow is market day, he has us do all of his supply runs for him."

Brenna nodded and sat down. She took her piece gratefully and ate it before curling up close to Asphodel, trying to make sure they were the most comfortable possible.

Kili also ate the small piece, looking down at the floor. He still felt bothered by the day's events and more than a bit frightened that those new punishments might come into effect. After he finished, he too settled back and tried to relax, but it was hard, especially with that fear weighing heavily on his mind.

Asphodel ate her piece of meat and curled up beside Brenna, shivering a bit and trying to get warm. She and Brenna had been friends for years, they came from different places, but they had managed to remain together all this time. She thought of Brenna as her sister. She was taller than Brenna, being a hobbit, but the gnome was older and had taken the young, curious, often impulsive hobbit under her wing. Asphodel's biggest fear was being separated from Brenna, as the gnome was the closest thing she ever had to family and kindness.

Fili pulled Kili into his arms and held him, "Try to get some sleep, Brother," he said, "Perhaps things will look better in the morning." He lay down and tried to sleep, letting Kili rest his head on his chest.

**Hobbie: Hope you had as much fun reading as much as we did writing! And for those who've read Nomad's fics but don't know me, please call me Hobbit or Hobbie. :D **

**Oh yes, I thought of a theme song for this story that just seems to work. **_**Safe and Sound**_ **by Taylor Swift! Just change the part where it says 'darling' to 'brother' and it works perfectly! I encourage y'all to listen to it and maybe reread this at the same time. :D **

**Anyways, look out for updates! They might not come as frequently as originally hoped, but we'll try, and then after is the summer and we'll probably be posting a lot then. :D **

**Oops, I rambled a bit… Thanks for reading guys, and please leave a comment or a fave/like if you would feel so inclined! It's a pleasure to know people enjoy our work! Thanks again! **

**Love, **

**Hobbie and Nomad**


	2. Chapter 2

Truthful Nomad: Hey everyone, welcome to Chapter 2! Just a recap that the perspective of Fili, Asphodel, and the Lake-town master are played by me, as well Gandalf and Balin and the Crate man. Kili, Brenna, Thorin, and the stall owner were played by ACreativeHobbit. I like pointing this out because I think it's important for readers to realize that you are reading a fic by two different authors with two different writing styles. We hope you enjoy reading it as much as we enjoy writing it!

Thorin Oakenshield stood in the skin-changer's house, looking out at the quiet night. The other eleven members of his company were laying around, deeply asleep. Or, most of them at least, Thorin thought. It was probably hard to sleep right when there was a danger of a bear ripping them to shreds as they slept. Which is part of the reason why Thorin was keeping watch.

Actually, it wasn't truly a reason why he was up so late. It was more of an excuse. The truth was, he wouldn't be able to sleep, even if he tried with all his might. And not because of the bear- er, skin-changer. It was deeper than that. If anything, the skin-changer was not even part of it. No, Thorin was haunted. Nightmares, guilt, grief- always hanging like a black cloud over his heart. A black cloud that would not dissipate, lest the sun in his life return again. But the sun was dead. His sons, if one could call them that, were both of them dead. They'd never come back. And it was all his fault. Thorin sighed and swallowed back the lump in his throat that crept back whenever those dark thoughts returned.

It had actually been many years since they'd died. Nothing was different. Except for the few greys in his hair that were starting to show all those long years. He'd counted each and every Naming Day since they'd gone to join his grandfather, Thror, his father, Thrain, his brother, Frerin, their father, Fildur. All of them. The difference was, they weren't actually there to celebrate those days. And that was one of the most painful thoughts of all- the fact that they weren't there with him, making their stupid jokes, cracking those smiles, being reckless, lightening the world. They were gone. Fili and Kili were gone.

While the dwarf king sat alone in his thoughts, Gandalf glanced across the table to Balin as the two elders smoked their pipes across the dim light of an overhead candle. "He hasn't fully recovered," Balin was saying, his voice betraying the concern he felt, "He never has. It's been decades and he still mourns."

Gandalf sighed, "He must be able to bury this grief if we're to have any hope of defeating the dragon," he said with equal concern, "And what concerns me most is our immediate path. Mirkwood. The forest is heavy with illusion and will seek to lead those who enter it astray."

"Aye," Balin agreed, "We'll look out for him. And for one another. If we don't reach Erebor before the light of Durin's day fades, this quest will be for nothing and I don't think Thorin could bear yet another loss."

Gandalf pondered that for a moment, then glanced at Balin, "What of the dragon sickness?" he dared to ask, "As we near the mountain, I worry about how it will affect him."

"As do I," Balin said, shaking his head sadly, "Without Fili and Kili here, I fear it may completely consume him." The two remained in conversation, worrying over the king who was not at all well and the success of this quest and quite possibly, the security of the whole of Middle Earth rested on reclaiming Erebor.

The next morning, Fili woke up and rubbed his eyes. He glanced over to see his brother and the girls huddled up on the floor in the tiny attic. The attic was a bit drafty, but it was better than sleeping outside. And as usual, Fili's back and neck ached from having to sleep on the hard wooden floor. He sat up with a wince and glanced at Kili, wondering if he should wake him up or if they might be able to enjoy a few minutes of peace before someone disturbed them.

Kili, on the other hand, was preoccupied with his doubts and worries- in dream form. At the moment, the thought of Fili getting hurt again weighed heavily on his mind. He stirred a bit in his sleep, curling up into a ball as if to protect himself from the anguish of having to watch Fili suffer- yet again. It wasn't the first time he'd dreamed this. The same memory of the past beating often repeated itself in his sleep. And during these times, Kili couldn't escape from it. His own mind forced him to watch it over and over again. Kili was tired of it, he didn't want to see it anymore.

Asphodel was beginning to stir, rubbing her eyes and sitting up. It was her stomach that really woke her up. She was so hungry. She remembered that feast they'd been forced to watch with longing.

It was then that the door to their attic was suddenly flung opened and Alfrid strode in and headed straight for the four sleeping lumps, "Rise and Shine!" he demanded, "Hobbit, get to the kitchen, the master wants his porridge now! And the rest of you, get to the dining room and clean up that mess!"

Kili jerked awake when he heard Alfrid's voice. Part of him was relieved that he was saved yet more repeated nightmares but the other part was annoyed. Not one moment of peace ever! he thought, although it was more about his own concerns than Alfrid himself. He groaned and weakly got to his feet, a bit dazed from the sudden awakening, after having been in another reality entirely- his dreams, that is. He blinked a bit to get himself properly awake.

Fili moved to get up, but wasn't doing it fast enough for Alfrid's liking so the man reached over and grabbed Fili by the sleeve and tried to yank him up, "Move it!" he demanded. Fili yanked his arm back and got quickly to his feet, "I'm up, you foul human," he grumbled, brushing himself off before glancing at Asphodel, Brenna, and Kili, "Let's go…" he said with a sigh.

Kili swallowed as he went down with the others. As usual, for the first part of the day, nothing seemed… real. Because his dreams were so vivid, sometimes it was hard to tell whether he was still asleep or whether he'd woken up already. He tried to focus on the work ahead, but it was hard… pinching himself was useless, because well, he might as well pinch himself in his sleep. He groaned, rubbing his temples, and kept following the others.

So the four of them hurried to do as they were instructed. Asphodel was forced to separate from the three of them and go into the kitchen where the cook was waiting, "It's about time!" he bellowed, "Get to cooking the porridge, I've been waiting forever."

Asphodel gazed around at the kitchen, getting the lay out of it and began to rummage around the drawers, looking for cooking utensils and pans. She started a bit when the cook suddenly grabbed her from behind and shoved her into the cabinetry, "What are you doing you little shire rat!" he screeched, "You're taking forever!"

Asphodel began to shake a bit. She was scared, this man had a quick temper and he had what looked like a large wooden spoon in his hand which he waved menacingly at her, "but sir, I don't know where anything is," she tried to explain, her voice quivering a bit. She didn't like being separated from Brenna, it made her feel uneasy.

The large, round cook responded by suddenly lashing out and striking the hobbit across the temple with the spoon. She toppled to her knees, gasping and rubbing her head, "Don't talk unless you are spoken too!" he screamed. Asphodel scrambled to try to do as she was instructed, but it took a few more smacks with that spoon before she finally had all the ingredients assembled and was quickly stirring the porridge.

Meanwhile, Fili gaped as he saw the condition of the dining room. It seemed as though the master and his guest had simply left it all to them. The remains of the elk was scattered about the table and was now old and unsafe to eat. Wine had been knocked over and was spilling onto the floor in puddles, peas and biscuits were scattered on the floor, plates and mugs were still strewn about the table. It was all starting to smell.

Kili grimaced at the horrible sight of the mess in the dining room, turning his face away for a moment. "Best we get to it," he muttered, moving to start getting rid of all the wasted food. As he began to clean up, his mind drifted off again as it often did now. It more or less concerned those repetitive nightmares usually, and how they wouldn't stop. It seemed as if they enjoyed tormenting him every night- if nightmares have souls that is, he thought. Again came with it the terror of every morning that somehow it would happen again. New days weren't new. He'd long lost count of the time they'd spent there, and new days meant they'd only get older, have more scars, and be farther from home.

Fili focused on work, though he couldn't help his mind wandering. He began to pick up the discarded food, his stomach growling a bit from hunger. All this food was going to waste because it was left out. It would have been a feast for the four of them. Fili didn't remember the last time he felt full.

Fili winced at the sounds coming from the kitchen. The shuffling of dishes, the cook roaring at other servants. He wondered how Asphodel was faring and he glanced in Brenna's direction as he continued to throw things into the trash bin, "I have to take all of this outside," he said to Kili and Brenna, picking up the burlap sack they'd gathered the garbage into, "I'll be back in a moment."

Moments later, Asphodel came out into the dining room. Her face was red, it was clear she had been crying. She sniffed a bit and began to help scrub the table, "The cook thought I was too slow," she mumbled without looking at the others, "Had no use for me. Said I could come help you." There was a rather large bruise on her cheek, but she kept her head down as she started cleaning.

Brenna immediately went over to Asphodel, assessing the large bruise. "He hit you?" she asked in concern. Of course it wasn't truly a surprise, they'd had many other bruises and hurts over the years, but it didn't make this one any less worrisome.

Kili felt some sympathy for the hobbit. Part of him was glad she didn't have to work in the kitchen any more with the abusive cook, and the other part was still focused on Fili, the previous night, and the fact that he was going outside- again.

Asphodel sniffed and nodded, trying to keep her emotions in check, "Has a mean temper, he does," she said softly, "It isn't as if I know where everything is in the kitchen, I've never been here before. Gave me a few smacks from that wooden spoon just for asking."

That was when the master happened to pass through the dining room. He glared at them all, "What are you three rats still doing here?" he demanded, "You're supposed to be at market getting me some supplies. And where is the other rat?"

Kili flinched, "He went outside, to get rid of the trash like Alfrid told us. Said he'll be back shortly." he answered meekly, heart pounding.

"Well get out there with him, I haven't got time for you rats," the master said, "You have supplies to procure."

"But sir, it's freezing outside," Asphodel said, trying to hope the master would provide them all with cloaks. The master only rolled his eyes, "Well that will provide you more incentive to hurry it up! Now go before I clobber all of you and I'll be sure to find something harder than a spoon!"

Brenna took Asphodel by the wrist, pulling her after Kili who led them out in a hurry, hoping to avoid punishment. They both shivered at the cold morning air, and Brenna grimaced at the smell of fish all around. Kili's sharp eyes, however, were searching for Fili, and he led the two girls to the back of the house where they got rid of garbage.

Fili was there, throwing the garbage into a pile and turned when he saw them all, "What are you three doing out here?" he asked, his breath came out in a white cloud in the freezing weather, "you'll catch cold."

"Had no choice," Asphodel pointed out, she kept her head lowered, keeping close to Brenna. She was afraid. Not only of the master, but of the other servants. She and Brenna had been abused by the other servants in previous homes, just as much as they had been abused by masters. Fili and Kili seemed nice, but she wondered what they might do if she offended them in any way.

"The Master kicked us out to get supplies at the market. He threatened to beat us if we didn't hurry." Kili answered with a shudder as a chill went through him. He rubbed his arms to try to warm up, moving close to Fili.

Brenna nodded, hoping to share body heat with Asphodel. "We don't know about the market, maybe you could please show us what to do?" she asked cautiously.

"The fish market is this way," Fili said, taking the lead, but pausing to grip Kili around the shoulders, wanting to keep him warm and to comfort him, "try not to speak with any of the Lake men, many of them have come to some hard times and they aren't easy to get along with."

Brenna nodded, taking note of this as she followed with Asphodel. Kili glanced briefly at his brother in thanks as they went, feeling a tiny amount of warmth in his heart for a moment, even as he was still troubled.

When they arrived at the market, there were stalls selling various items and men wandering about, buying and selling. They glanced at the short statured dwarves and hobbits that approached, but said nothing. Some gave some jeering looks in their direction though. Some did call out some rather lewd remarks to the girls as they passed. The market was small, Lake-town was no longer a thriving trade town. About the only things to eat were fish and what few things they acquired from the elves. There were silks and textiles being sold, as well as pottery, tools, and other items.

Brenna winced as they passed the rude men, trying to ignore their comments. Of course, it wasn't as if they'd never heard things like that before, but it was still jarring. She focussed instead on the market and the things being sold. There was little to see, but her eye was briefly caught by the textiles there. She shook her head though, continuing to follow the two brothers.

They walked through the market a ways before a particular stall caught Asphodel's eyes, "Herbs and spices!" she gasped with delight, hurrying over to the stall. This was one thing that caused Asphodel delight. She loved spices and herbs and flowers and she loved all the different smells. She had to smell each and every bundle of herbs or jar of spice.

Fili watched the girls as he stood with Kili, "We should be sure to stay together," he told his brother, "We shouldn't let them get too far ahead."

Kili nodded, "Aye, they could get hurt." he murmured in response, shuddering at a chill that went through him, not only at the cold, but at the thought that went through his mind.

Brenna hurried after Asphodel, "You shouldn't wander off, you heard what Fili said. It's dangerous here."

Asphodel frowned, "Oh can't I stay here a bit? I'd like to pick out some spices for tea." The owner of the spices was watching them carefully, he was short and pudgy, with a long mustache and he was wearing a bandana on his head.

Brenna sighed, putting a hand on her shoulder. "That would be nice, but the Master wants us to hurry with supplies, we haven't even gotten them yet."

Asphodel frowned more and muttered, "the master is a big oaf," under her breath. That's when the owner spoke up, "Can I help you two little girls with something? I have the finest spices in all of Lake-town."

With a shake of her head, Brenna answered, "No thank you, we have to go now." She tried to pull Asphodel away from the stall.

Asphodel sighed sadly and followed Brenna back to where the boys were waiting for them, "What was that about?" Fili asked curiously.

"Oh, Asphodel loves spices and herbs." Brenna answered. "But we should probably get moving with those supplies the master wants."

"We haven't much gold," Fili said, "The master wants some pots for the cook and some fish," he pulled out a piece of parchment Alfrid had given him, it was rather large and Fili didn't know how they'd manage to lug everything back, "here," he handed the parchment to Brenna.

Brenna gaped a bit at all the stuff they needed to get. "So where do we start?" she wondered.

"Normally we get the fish first," said Kili. "The best ones are in the morning. They're the most expensive ones, but we had to learn that the Master won't take anything less than the best."

Asphodel swallowed, "Is the master very cruel?" she asked. She wanted to know what she and Brenna were in store for in this town. She still felt a little disappointed at the herbs, fish would go well with herbs after all. Though it was unfortunate that that cook was so cruel because Asphodel was a very good cook and could probably do a much better job than he.

Kili bit his lip. "He's a bit unpredictable. Most of the time he doesn't make good on idle threats, but there have been times where he has. It's just better to avoid those times." he ended quietly, looking away.

"Aye," Fili agreed with his brother before leading them to a stall full of fresh lake trout. The smell of fish was heavy in the air and Asphodel's stomach growled loudly. She blushed a bit, rubbing her stomach.

"We'd like some lake trout," Fili told the stall owner as he pulled out his pouch of gold, "the freshest ones."

The stall owner didn't look very kind at all. "That'll be six coin." he grumbled, starting to put some fish in a bag to hand to Fili.

"That is a lot of gold," Fili said, "Are you sure you won't give them to me for cheaper?" Asphodel glanced around, feeling a bit bored as Fili haggled over the price.

"They're the best fish in town, they're certainly worth six coin." the owner defended with a glare.

"We are servants of the master, will you not give the master a fair price?" Fili continued. But as he was bargaining, someone came up behind Asphodel, a large man hauling a crate. He hadn't seen the small hobbit in his path and collided into her, sending her spiralling forward into the fish stall, and the hobbit and a pile of fish both fell hard into the dirt.

The owner got angry, "What are you trying to do, you little imps?!" he cried.

Kili and Brenna both rushed forward to help pick Asphodel up, getting the fish off of her and putting it back in the stall.

"Don't touch my fish!" the man shouted, threatening to beat all of them.

Asphodel brushed herself off and glared at the men, "Maybe you ought to watch where you are going!" she shouted as the man who ran into her put the crate down, "Now I smell of fish!"

Fili sighed, "I believe you are the ones who owe us an apology," he said to the men, "you could have injured her."

The man who had the crate laughed mockingly at both Fili and Asphodel, "Well look what we have here, boss," he said, "I've seen the two dwarf filth running about town but now it seems they've got themselves two little wenches. What beauties they are. But that one should know her place."

The stall owner forgot his fury for a brief moment, putting his hands on his hips and chortling scornfully. It then twisted into a dangerous smirk, "I agree, all of them should know their place." he said, cracking his fist.

Kili felt something snap inside him, pushing him to an alarming fury. "Stop treating my friends like this, do you hear me? You'll pay for it if you hurt any one of them." he growled, putting himself in front of the three. This time he wasn't going to back down. Nobody would hurt them. Especially Fili. He didn't know what would happen if they even laid a finger on his brother.

Fili winced, watching Kili tell the men off. This was a tense situation. His brother was reckless and from what it would seem, so was Asphodel. Fili glanced to Brenna, but before they could try to defuse the situation, the crate man roared with laughter,

"Oh we'll pay now?" he mocked, "And is a short imp like yourself going to be the one to do it then?" and with that, the crate man decided to test the dwarves by reaching over and grabbing Asphodel by the wrist, "You are a feisty one, you are," he said lewdly, "need to be taught how to speak to a man."

"I'll show you feisty!" Asphodel growled, whirling to shove her fist into his face and then launching a number of fish at both of their faces, "I'll speak how I wish to you miserable oafs!" And then, she dove at the crate man, taking him by surprise and shoving him down into the dirt.

"Asphodel!" Brenna gasped, trying to pull Asphodel off of the man.

The stall owner decided to take this opportunity to express his anger, and rushed at Fili, momentarily forgetting Kili's threat. He regretted it after a moment, however, when Kili saw and pounced on the man, letting go of all inhibitions and letting loose everything he'd been feeling for the past months- fear, frustration, worry, stress, and now anger. He started to punch the guy as hard as he could, no longer thinking about anything. Tears streamed down his face, "Don't touch my brother! Don't you dare touch him!" he cried.

Fili gasped, watching his brother pound the stall owner wildly. Asphodel as on top of the crate man after having rolled around in the mud a few times. She had a fish and was pummeling the crate man in the face with it, "Don't call me a wench!" she cried, "Don't you touch me either, don't you ever think you can touch me!"

Fili hurried and grabbed Kili by the tunic, trying to pry his brother off. The crate man cried out, "She's feral or something!" he shouted. Their little disruption was attracting attention as people flocked over to see the commotion.

Brenna likewise tried to get Asphodel off of the man, fearing the punishment that might happen. "Asphodel, get off of him, please!" she yelled, hoping no one would dare tell the Master about this.

Kili resisted his brother's efforts, he continued to hit the stall owner into oblivion. By now he was sobbing angrily too, crying unintelligibly as his blows grew weaker and weaker, and slowly he let Fili pull him off.

Asphodel also beat the man with every strength she had. Of course a little hobbit was no match for a man and when she wasn't looking, the crate man leapt up, sending her toppling off of him and into the dirt. he grabbed her wrists and stood up to his full height, she was now dangling from his grasp. But she was struggling to get in another kick. The crate man launched a few strikes of his balled fist against her head before throwing her down and kicking her hard in the stomach, then he hurried over to the stall owner, helping him to his feet.

Fili pulled Kili free, holding him and rubbing his back, "It's okay, brother," he said softly, though in his mind, he was screaming with panic. This was not going to go over well. He glanced to Brenna, "Get her up, we better go back."

Brenna nodded, going over to Asphodel and helping her up, swallowing as she saw the damage done. She was worried as well, what punishment would they receive for this if the Master found out? What would happen?

The stall owner was furious by now. He sported some lovely bruises, a bloody nose, and a couple of lost teeth. He couldn't do anything now, just scream at the four. "I promise the master will hear about this! You'll be the ones paying!"

Asphodel whimpered a bit as the adrenaline wore off and she held her bruised torso. Blood trickled from a gash on the side of her face where the crate man had punched her. But she still managed to spit at the stall owner as she let Brenna lead her away. Fili did the same, glaring at the stall owner as he led Kili away from the market.

Kili continued to cry as he held on tightly to Fili, burying his face in his brother's shoulder. He felt so ashamed, so angry, so scared- all his fear and insecurity had been exposed in this moment, and now he would pay for it. There was always punishment- he'd learned to try to keep his emotions under wraps, but he supposed it had been too long since he'd said anything, since he'd let himself have a good cry, a good talk, a good time to just let go. Well either that, or there had hardly been the chance for that.

Fili forgot all about the things they needed to get at the market. He just concentrated on getting his brother and the girls home. He hoped they'd be able to make it to their attic before anyone saw them and they'd be allowed a little peace before what he knew was coming. To his relief, the master and Alfrid were in their office when they entered the house.

Asphodel tracked mud into the house, she was filthy, mud caked to her hair and her dress and she sported a lot of bruises and cuts, the wound on her head leaked blood down her face and staining her once white peasants gown.

Brenna helped Asphodel get up to the attic, concerned about infection and the fact that they might not be able to get treatment for her injuries. But she'd do the best she could, she decided.

They managed to make it to the attic safely for now. Fili lowered Kili to his sheet in the corner, "Alright then first, we better make sure you aren't hurt," he said, his voice hinting at the fear he was feeling. He glanced to Brenna, "We have to get them out of these clothes and cleaned before the master sees."

Kili sat down, sniffling. The anger had gone now, revealing pain in his fists from the pounding he'd given the man. He looked down and saw that his knuckles were a bit bloodied and bruised. He'd also bruised his knees a bit from falling on the stall owner, but that was the least of their concerns. They could easily be hidden with his trousers.

Brenna nodded, wondering how they'd get Asphodel a clean dress without anyone finding out. For the moment, she occupied herself with checking Asphodel's head wound, which she was worried the most about- head wounds were dangerous.

"I'll get some water, you can change behind that screen," he pointed at the small screen across the room. He tried to think of what they'd change into. That was when his eyes fell upon a pile of burlap potato sacks. The attic was often used as a storage place and there were random items strewn about the place, "She'll have to wear that," Fili said, pointing to the sacks, "Cut three holes at the bottom for her head and arms."

Fili got to his feet and headed for the door. He snuck down the stairs to the servants room where they kept cleaning supplies. He found a large wash basin and he dashed outside once more to fill the basin. Then, he hauled it back upstairs and handed it to Brenna, "Here, wash her. It's lake water, it's cold and polluted, but it's the best we can do for now."

Brenna managed a small smile, "Thank you." she said, sitting Asphodel down on a crate. She found a small rag which she dipped into water and did her best to clean Asphodel's head wound and her face and hands. When she was done, she sent her behind the screen to change and did as told with the burlap sack.

Fili knelt by his brother,taking another wet rag and cleaning his knuckles before pulling him into his arms, "There you are, brother," he said softly.

Asphodel did as she was told, washing all the mud and dirt and blood before putting on the burlap sack and sitting down next to Kili. Her lip trembled a bit, her head ached badly and her stomach was very tender. But she felt afraid, yet somewhat satisfied, "I gave him what he had coming to him," she muttered with a sniffle, "He shouldn't have touched me."

Brenna sat down with Asphodel solemnly. "He did deserve it, I agree." she said, "But we should try to be more careful. If the master hears of this or anything else…" she shuddered.

Kili held on to Fili tightly. In comparison to Asphodel, he did not feel any measure of satisfaction. In fact, he was more afraid than ever. Afraid and angry at himself, too. He'd allowed his stupid emotions to get the better of him and now Fili was going to pay for it. He clenched his eyes shut, trying to keep more tears from coming. He didn't think he could handle his nightmares coming true again. "I'm sorry Fee…" he whispered.

"Don't worry about that now," Fili said softly, rubbing Kili's back, "We'll be okay. You just have to work on that recklessness of yours. And-"

He was interrupted when the door suddenly burst open and the master and Alfrid came in, both wearing looks of anger. Asphodel gasped, her eyes wide in fear and Fili immediately got to his feet.

"You little fools!" the master roared at them so loud, Asphodel jumped a little, "you destroyed a man's stall and you caused mayhem in the market! I'm going to see to it that all four of you are punished!"

Kili also stood up, tears springing to his eyes again. He stood in front of Fili, hoping to save him from whatever punishment was coming. "I'm sorry… please don't hurt them, it was all my fault. I'll do anything! I-I'll work without stopping, I'll sleep outside, I won't eat- anything! Don't punish them please!" he begged, tears pouring down.

Asphodel listened to Kili beg and shook her head, standing up, "It was my fault too, we'll accept our punishment."

The master growled, "Do I look like I care who is at fault?" he sneered. He pointed to Kili and Asphodel, "ten lashes for each of you and," he pointed to Fili and Brenna, "You two will sleep outside tonight. All four of you will go without supper. Is that understood?"

Kili's eyes widened. "No! No! Please! Don't make him sleep outside! Don't! I'll take twenty lashes, thirty! A thousand! Please don't make him sleep outside! I'll not eat tonight and tomorrow!" he still tried to bargain.

Brenna went to Asphodel, "Don't give her the lashes! I'll take them for her!" she cried.

Fili shook his head, "No... please no lashes" he begged, "Please..." he didn't want to hear Kili's cries of pain, it terrified him. He didn't care what happened to him, just as long as Kili was okay. Asphodel begged too.

"ENOUGH!" the master roared, raising a fist menacingly, "Stop your belly aching!" He glanced to Alfrid, "would you do the lashes?" Fili moved to stand in front of Kili, somehow hoping he could shield him. Asphodel swallowed.

"Of course my lord." Alfrid grinned toothily, stepping forward to the brothers first. "Move aside filth," he sneered at Fili, pushing him away and pulling Kili to him. "Move back!" he said, going to tie Kili to one of the supports of the house, taking off Kili's tunic.

At that, Fili lost it. He cried out, tears springing to his eyes as he lurched forward, trying to get to his brother. But the master knocked him down with a swift swing of his fist, sending the dwarf to the floor, "No!" Fili screamed, trying to scramble to his feet but the master put his massive foot onto Fili's back, weighing him down and pinning him to the floor. Fili struggled.

Asphodel gasped, "no, please..." she begged softly, "let him go..."

Alfrid payed no heed to the two others, taking out a whip. It looked rather cruel, even for men. He pushed Kili down on to his knees and raised the whip. Kili shut his eyes tightly, bowing his head… Alfrid brought the whip down on Kili's back. Needless to say, there would be a fantastic bruise there, along with a bright red bloody stripe. Kili gasped and jerked with a groan as the blood began to pour down his back.

Asphodel burst into tears and buried her face into Brenna's shoulder, shaking and sobbing. She didn't like to think of anyone being in pain and she didn't like to know she was the one who was responsible for it. She knew she would be next, but that was far from her mind right now.

And Fili was beside himself, the sight of his brother's blood drove him mad and he struggled against the master with all of his strength, screaming Kili's name over and over.

Brenna held Asphodel tightly, the thing that was on her mind was that Asphodel would receive the same, and that made her eyes sting with tears. She wanted to look away, but she found she couldn't, the horrible sight of the blood was calling her attention.

And yet again Alfrid brought the whip down. And again, and again. Each time, it drew a louder cry from Kili's lips as he struggled to keep quiet. The only thing on his mind right now, was, Better me than Fili, better me than Fili… and it repeated with every lash, until the ten were completed at last, and Alfrid turned his gaze to Asphodel, untying Kili and pushing him to the corner, where the brunet struggled to recover from the pain and anguish, rivulets of blood running down Kili's back.

When the lashes were completed, the master let Fili up and the blonde dwarf darted quickly to the corner, grabbing his brother up into his arms, trying to avoid his fresh new wounds, and holding him tight.

Asphodel swallowed as Alfrid looked at her. She knew what was coming and she bravely stepped away from Brenna, determined to face her lashes as best she could. Inside, her mind was racing and her body shook.

Brenna tried to grab Asphodel back, but it was no use. Inside she knew what was going to happen, she'd already seen.

Alfrid did the same to Asphodel- tied her to the support, and pushed her down on her knees. He didn't bother to take off the sack though which was a relief for Brenna. Perhaps it would provide a weak protection against the whip. Alfrid raised his whip and brought it down again. Brenna covered her face this time.

Kili panted and looked up at Fili, partly relieved that he'd taken the beating this time. "Better me… than you…" he whispered, saying what had been in his head during the lashes. The only part left was spending the night without Fili, his brother sleeping out in the cold. And that was the most terrifying yet.

Asphodel cried out as Alfrid whipped her, feeling the fire in her back. She rested her forehead against the support beam, as if it could shield her from the pain. She screamed out louder and louder with each lashing, her body trembled. She sobbed, but she said nothing, didn't fight it.

Fili held his brother tighter, wincing from the young hobbit's screams. It bothered him to see such a small woman like her be hurt like that, didn't these men have any compassion? He just held his brother tight, "Shh..." he said against Kili's mop of brown hair.

Brenna felt tears pour down as she listened to Asphodel's cries. She couldn't bear to watch this time however, she couldn't bear to watch the whip hurt her.

Alfrid finally finished with Asphodel's ten, dropping the whip and grinning in satisfaction.

Kili shifted uncomfortably, forgetting his pain for a moment. NO. he thought, They are not taking Fili from me. He held on to Fili as tight as possible, muscles trembling from the pain, even though he wasn't thinking about that.

Asphodel fell to the floor when Alfrid released her and she scrambled to Brenna- but was cut off when the master reached forward and grabbed Brenna by the arm, yanking her from Asphodel's reach, "take the dwarf," he ordered Alfrid, "They'll sleep outside tonight. Maybe that will be a lesson for them and the next time they defy me, they won't be able to walk when I'm through with them."

Fili clutched onto Kili. He was relieved Kili wouldn't be joining him outside, the temperatures at night were enough to kill. But he feared that Kili and Asphodel would be up here alone, wounded, without anyone to take care of him. He prepared himself for what was coming, gripping his brother as tight as he could.

Brenna grunted as she was pulled away from Asphodel, struggling weakly against the man's grip. But it was no use, there was one thing coming that she could not stop. She was afraid, not for herself and being out in the cold, but that she wouldn't be here to keep infection from getting into Asphodel's wounds.

Alfrid went over and fought against the grip of the two desperate brothers. He found it hard however, because they were both holding on with all their might. But Alfrid's conniving little mind found a way to make it easier.

"Let go, filth, or else he'll get twenty more lashes." he growled at Fili. Kili didn't loosen his grip, who cares if he got twenty more? It would be so much better than having to sleep apart from Fili.

At that threat, Fili did loosen his grip. He winced at the thought of Kili being hurt more. He gritted his teeth and slowly got to his feet, "Kili, it's going to be okay..." he said, trying to be comforting, though tears streamed down his face.

Kili shook his head, sobbing, and kept holding on as tight as he could. "Please… please…" he begged.

Alfrid paid no heed to this and instead, pulled Fili away by the arm. "Sleep well, dwarfling." he smirked, as Kili's grip finally gave in and he couldn't reach Fili anymore.

As Fili and Brenna were hauled out of the room, Asphodel crumpled to the ground, she lay in a heap in the middle of the attic, curling up into a ball and sobbing uncontrollably.

The door slammed, and Kili raced as fast as his battered body would carry him over to it, and he pounded his fists against it, forgetting all about his wounds, or the fact that he was bloody and leaving blood everywhere. From somewhere inside him, the horrible anger that he'd felt earlier returned with a vengeance and he pounded against the door even harder, screaming for Fili and screaming curses at the Master and Alfrid. That was all he could think of.

Asphodel gasped, hearing Kili screaming and cursing at the door and she darted into the corner, curling up again, sobbing and sobbing until she couldn't sob any longer.

At last, when Kili's throat had gone dry and hoarse from screaming, he collapsed against the door, his strengths all but gone. He went silent, falling into thought. He didn't want to move from the door, as if fearing that moving even an inch would increase the distance between him and his brother vastly, and that terrified him.

Asphodel tried not to think of Brenna outside in the cold. She hoped her sister would find warmth enough for the night and that she would be able to survive. She found herself glancing in Kili's direction, contemplating. Trying to think. She didn't know him that well, she felt bad he'd received whips and she felt a pang of sympathy for the young dwarf, but she also felt a bit wary of him. Would he take his anger and his pain out on her? He seemed kind, but so many others seemed kind in the beginning.

But Asphodel was forced to remember her injuries when her head began to slowly start throbbing with pain. She groaned in spite of herself and tried to get to her feet, but could only make it to her knees. She crawled towards the water basin, whimpering and groaning.

Kili looked up at Asphodel when he heard her, tears still pouring down his face. He felt sympathy for her and bit his lip, glancing down at his spot. He didn't want to move, but he knew she needed his help. Having forgotten his wounds, he winced when he moved over to the water basin as well, grimacing.

Asphodel let out a pained groan as she reached the water basin, collapsing against it, panting. Her head was spinning. Her back stung. Her fingers shook as she reached for the rag.

Kili took it first, however, and he dipped it into the water, waiting for her with a serious expression.

Asphodel opened her big green eyes wider as she gazed at him, wincing and swallowing a bit. She waited for a moment, studying him for a moment, "Will... will you hurt me?" she asked softly.

Kili could not say anything, but shook his head, staring at her just as intensely. He instead lifted the sack to reveal her back, and began to clean her wounds and back.

Asphodel flinched and winced, but allowed him to clean her wounds. She began to relax in his presence a little, but she kept her eyes locked on his. When he finished cleaning her wounds, she remembered his wounds and held out a hand for him to give her the rag.

Kili gave her a confused look, until he felt a flash of pain go through his back. Then he realized that she wanted to do the same for him, and gave her the rag.

She hoisted herself up onto her knees and gripped his shoulder so he'd turn around, then began to scrub his back clean as gently as she could. She winced when she realized they had no alcohol or bandages to cover either of their wounds, but this was the best they could do. When she finished, she moved to fall back against the wall, looking at him intently.

Kili looked back at her, and murmured, "Thank you." He went back over to the door, feeling a pang of shame that he'd separated himself from Fili, even though it was for a good cause, not far, and not long.

Asphodel went back to her own thoughts. She felt sleepy, she worried if maybe her head injury was worse than she thought. She blinked, trying to shrug it off. She turned her attention to Brenna and for a long time, perhaps a few hours, she sat there quietly, dwelling on the situation she was in. She risked a glance toward Kili, "they'll be okay," she said softly, her voice almost a whisper.

In this state, Kili found that hard to believe. He was very scared that the cold would kill Fili out there, that this had been the last time they'd seen each other alive. He didn't want to live without his brother, especially not like this. He'd go mad. He wouldn't do it. No. He curled up further against the door, starting to cry quietly in fear.

Asphodel watched him for awhile before she dared to risk moving. She groaned loudly as she used the wall to steady herself as she got weakly to her feet. She stumbled across the room to the door where Kili was, slumping hard against it and sitting down beside him. She didn't touch him or say anything, just sat there, beside him.

Kili cried for a while, before reaching over and hugging her close to him. He knew she was not his brother, and no substitute, but what more could he do now? There was nothing left but each other and a tiny bit of hope that their siblings would survive. But it was fragile, and there was nothing else to do but wait. They only had each other, so Kili held on to her- the last he had.

Asphodel flinched at first but relaxed and lay her head on his shoulder, wrapping her arms around him. "This isn't the first time this has happened to me and Brenna," she said softly "Our former master used to like to do this to us... because of me. I can't keep me mouth shut and I should learn me place."

Kili shook his head, "It isn't your fault, that bloody stupid man caused all this." he answered hoarsely. It was true, why did men always cause them so much pain?

One small tear trickled down Asphodel's cheek as she listened to him, "men are greedy," she said. She hesitated for a moment, not sure whether she should tell him much about her own past, but maybe it would comfort him, "Have you ever known any hobbits?" she asked softly.

With a single shake of his head, Kili answered, "No, you're the first." He suddenly realized that he'd never marveled at her, since she was the first hobbit he'd ever seen well. He'd heard about them, but had not realized this is how they looked. He also realized that she was pretty, despite the condition she was in, and this made him a bit nervous. He'd never thought about things like this, there was never any time for it. Was it right? Was it normal? What was he to do about it? He felt his face grow warm at the thought, and unbidden, his tongue said, "Are all hobbits pretty like you?" He bit his lip and looked away when he realized what he'd said.

Asphodel raised a brow at his last comment, looking at him in surprise... and she smiled. For some reason, that last comment did wonders to make her feel more comfortable. She decided to continue on, suspecting that maybe their stories were similar, "Well I don't know if I am the prettiest hobbit in the shire," she said with a blush, "but I haven't seen my home in so many years. It's what has kept me alive, the hope that someday, I will see it again."

"Me neither. Fee," he winced at the thought of his brother still out in the cold, "and I, we used to live in the Blue Mountains with our mother and our uncle. It was peaceful until the slave mongers took Fili and I while were out playing. I don't remember much of that time anymore. I just know that… Uncle, he told us stories of the mountain sometimes I think. He used to live here, I think he was a prince when the dragon came. Fili and I have always hoped that he'd come find us, but perhaps not now. Maybe we're to stay slaves for the rest of our lives." he sighed sadly.

"The slave mongers came for me too," she said, "one day while my parents were harvesting grain. I wandered too far away from the field and... they took me. I met Brenna soon after. We aren't really sisters of course. She is a gnome. But we've been together so long I often forget that we come from two different lands. But... I'll never lose hope that one day we will be free."

Kili sighed, "Sometimes I like to hope that, but sometimes I wonder if maybe we were meant to stay like this for the rest of our lives. And sometimes I wonder if maybe Uncle never came because he forgot us." He swallowed and looked down. "Fee and I, we've been in this position most of our lives, it seems as if we're never going to get out of being slaves." Kili grew silent and contemplative, another single tear escaping.

Asphodel looked at him, feeling sympathy for him and his brother. It seemed that he had lost hope, "Well perhaps it's fortunate that you have found us. Brenna and I have attempted to escape from our masters many times before and we have never given up hope that one day we will be successful. Maybe together, we will have more luck."

And then there was only silence, and they held each other long into the night. Fear, darkness, and worry kept Kili from sleeping, while hope and despair battled each other above their heads- Hope that they'd all get out of there alive one day, but despair that they would not. The night wore on heavily.

ACreativeHobbit: Thanks again for reading! This chapter was particularly fun to write for us, mostly because we're both angst addicts, and we tend to bring it! XD Hopefully you loved it as much as we did! :D

We're hoping to get another chapter up soon, sometime in the next week or two maybe, now that summer is here. (Yay!) So hang in there, there is plenty more angst to come! XD

Please review if you would be so inclined, reviews are like food- we love it.

Thanks again, lovely readers!

Love,

Hobbie and Nomad


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